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Planetary Science – Exploring the Moon with Laser Retroreflectors – Free Activity Event
September 18, 2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
- Talk Title: Mirrors on the Moon: 56 Years of Science and A New Era of Exploration
- Talk Description: The astronauts of Apollo 11 placed an array of special mirrors on the surface of the Moon, kicking off 56 years (and counting) of the science of Lunar Laser Ranging. Lunar Laser Ranging involves the use of lasers to measure the precise range between the Earth and the Moon, which in recent years has reached the millimeter level. This is equivalent to measuring the distance from New York to Los Angeles down to the width of a human hair. This discussion will cover the amazing science that has come from five decades of measurements and will also include the new project to distribute miniaturized versions of the Apollo mirrors across the lunar surface, ushering in a new era for navigation on the Moon.
- Speaker: Dr. Daniel Cremons (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
- Speaker Bio: Dr. Daniel Cremons is a Research Scientist in the Planetary Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). He received his Ph.D. in materials science from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN in 2017 and has worked at NASA GSFC ever since. He is currently developing scientific instruments to study ice on the Moon and for measuring dust and winds on Mars. He works to develop new techniques and methods that support science and exploration goals in the fields of infrared spectroscopy, optics, and laser physics. He recently led the optical testing and flight qualification of laser retroreflector arrays for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. These arrays have flown on international and CLPS missions. These retroreflector arrays will create a permanent fiducial network of beacons that can be tracked with centimeter precision from lunar orbit with a laser altimeter.
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- Meeting ID: 230 753 560 809 6
- Passcode: wQ9Fm2jm
- Join by phone: +1-256-715-9946 (phone conference ID: 808 639 586#)